Summary
On July 17, 2007, a Beech E-33C (N7927R) was involved in an incident near Laurel, MT. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The overload failure of the nose gear retract brace (drag link) during the landing roll.
On July 17, 2007, approximately 1445 mountain daylight time, a Beech E-33C, N7927R, experienced a collapse of the nose gear during the landing roll at Laurel Municipal Airport, Laurel, Montana. The Certified Flight Instructor and his student where not injured, but the airplane, which is owned by Rocky Mountain College, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, which departed the same airport about 20 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the instructor and the student, the touchdown was uneventful, but during the landing roll the nose gear collapsed.
This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA07LA210. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7927R.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The overload failure of the nose gear retract brace (drag link) during the landing roll.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On July 17, 2007, approximately 1445 mountain daylight time, a Beech E-33C, N7927R, experienced a collapse of the nose gear during the landing roll at Laurel Municipal Airport, Laurel, Montana. The Certified Flight Instructor and his student where not injured, but the airplane, which is owned by Rocky Mountain College, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, which departed the same airport about 20 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the instructor and the student, the touchdown was uneventful, but during the landing roll the nose gear collapsed. A post-accident inspection of the gear system revealed that the nose gear retract brace (drag-link) had failed. The fracture surface of the brace was analyzed by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, and it was determined that it had failed in a manner consistent with a twisting overload. No preexisting damage or indication of fatigue was found. The reason for the twisting overload failure could not be determined.
The failure of the brace resulted in structural damage to the area around the nose gear wheel well.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA07LA210